Aug 19 2009
Is A Boycott of Whole Foods a Good Idea?
Many supporters of progressive healthcare reform were shocked recently to read an Op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, which slammed government funded healthcare. Liberal activists who form a substantial chunk of the Whole Foods clientele responded with anger, overwhelming the company’s online comments page. Mackey titled his piece, “The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare,” referring to the President’s reform efforts by the epithet popular with angry town-hall-going conservatives. In it, he emphasized individual responsibility, suggesting that “making wise life-style choices” such as healthy eating could cure most diseases (presumably through foods bought from his grocery store). Mackey mocked the idea that everyone has an “intrinsic right to healthcare,” but then suggested that people could make voluntary contributions to pay for the healthcare needs of the uninsured. Despite the recession, Whole Foods Corporation, sometimes referred to cheekily as Whole Paycheck, recorded sales of nearly $2 billion last quarter. It has faced criticism from progressives before, because of Mackey’s anti-union policies and his lobbying efforts against the Employee Free Choice Act. Now, a call for a Whole Foods boycott that appears to have its origins in an opinion piece by Russell Mokhiber, has taken cyberspace by storm. Tens of thousands have joined a Boycott Whole Foods Facebook page. Whole Foods, in an effort to stem the calls, has apologized to it’s customers via email saying that their CEO’s op-ed “offended some of our customers and some of our team members as well.”
GUEST: Russell Mokhiber, editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime Reporter. He is also founder of singlepayeraction.org.
Read Mokhiber’s article here: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/13-0
Read John Mackey’s original op-ed here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html.
6 Responses to “Is A Boycott of Whole Foods a Good Idea?”
I support this boycott. I mainly go to farmers’ markets and Trader Joe’s, anyway, but I’ll avoid Whole Foods if I’m near one.
But I wish there’d be an official and well-organized of Chiquita (formerly United Fruit) and Dole over their ties to the Honduras coup. I’ve signed petitions and sent letters to U.S. politicians, and U.S. policies have only gotten worse.
I think it’s more empowering to vote with our money.
Here’s a blog I wrote last month about the Honduran coup and why I’m boycotting any U.S. companies that are benefiting from it.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=1504245&blogId=500343337
I do not support this boycott. I don’t see that Trader Joe’s any better. I like what Whole Foods stands for and what it offers to the community, honestly is beyond any other grocery chains including Trader Joe’s. Being a Vegan I do not see where else I can shop and please do not tell me farmers market or TJ . I am for fair trade, organic and animal welfare, therefore I will keep shopping at Whole Foods.
A boycott, what a waste of time.
I DO NOT support this boycott.
I have never shopped at Whole Foods, but will begin right now.
This is the DUMBEST idea I have ever heard in my life.
The man has as much right to not support nationalized healthcare as anyone has a right to support it.
The man who came up with this 1/2 brained idea is a nut.
Not only will I shop Whole Foods I will highly recommend them to everyone I see.
I wish this boycott the worse turn out ever.
The CEO of Whole Foods does have the right to express his personal opinions–but we, too, have the right to not contribute to his paycheck if we so choose.
Actually, by not shopping at Whole Foods the only paychecks you are hurting are those of the employees and shareholders. John Mackey opted out of receiving a paycheck a long time ago. As a former employee of Whole Foods, I know firsthand what a great company they are to work for. Furthermore, in the interview they talked about how Whole Foods won’t unionize. That’s because the employees there do NOT want them to. After working at Whole Foods I worked as a sales rep that sold to other national supermarket chains. I found that employee morale and overall happiness was MUCH lower at the conventional store than at Whole Foods. Whole Foods pays their employees higher wages than other grocery stores, gives them a 20% discount on all purchases and gives them amazing healthcare benefits. The man who started this boycott is a total idiot who did not do his homework before trying to get his 20 seconds of fame. People who think Trader Joe’s is a good alternative, are in my opinion, wrong. For me I can find everything I need at Whole Foods just like I could at Safeway (as a one stop-shop), whereas I cannot do this at Trader Joe’s. Also, Trader Joe’s does not have the same quality standards that Whole Foods does. Example: you can walk into any Whole Foods and know that you will never find anything that has artificial food coloring, flavors or preservatives or hydrogenated fats. This is not the case at TJ’s. You really do have to read labels there. I do occasionally shop at Trader Joe’s and like it, I’m just pointing out that they do not have the same quality that Whole Foods does. As far as organics go, you will find much better prices at Whole Foods than you will at a conventional grocery store that carries some organic products. This is especially true if you look for their 365 products(generic brand). I could go on and on with other examples, but am running out of time.